Puppy training, socialisation and stimulation

[sandwiches77]

Cockapoo puppy is 11 weeks old and only had his first vaccination. He is an intelligent puppy and needs stimulating, he has a Kong etc but this only keeps him occupied for a few minutes. He can't go out for walks yet but I've had it suggested that I carry him outside for socialisation and stimulation. HELP

I don’t know about carrying him outside. I suppose it might help get him used to traffic (mine was scared of passing cars etc when we first left the house) but I can’t see how it would help much with other dogs/ people.

If you drive, you could take him on short car trips - just around the block at first - to help get him used to that (and so that he doesn’t begin to associate car trips with scary vet check ups).

If you have a secure garden and don’t have concerns about fox poo, he can go out there before being allowed out on walks.
I’d highly recommend you take him for ‘walks’ on the lead in the garden and, despite him being small/ light, pay close attention to any lead pulling and try to correct him gently so that he learns what’s expected when he’s on lead.

To help the kong last longer, stuff it and then freeze the whole thing so it is more challenging for him.

Any early days training will help stimulate him and he’ll get more tired than you’d expect as he tries to learn.

Yes of course you should take him out and about, carrying him everywhere until it is safe for him to go into the ground

He can also meet fully vaccinated dogs in safe places (like a back garden where no unvaccinated canines visit)

Have you got a good book on bringing up puppies?

It sounds like you're missing some of the basics on socialisation, so it might be worth reading up to make sure you don't miss anything else

You can get slings for puppies to carry them around in. However, have to say my puppy didn't like the sling I got, so it doesn't work for all puppies.
There is a lot you can do around the house/garden to get him started right. Two things that are useful are collar (or harness) and lead training, so that when you can go out you can concentrate on other things rather than the lead training. Also training for being groomed - just a few minutes a day with a brush, wiping his eyes etc, makes life so much easier if you can brush/handle them all over while they stand quietly. (For the vet as well)
The other thing is familiarisation with all household noises (vacuum cleaner, washing machine etc) and coping with visitors. The time until they can go out passes very quickly, but it's a good time to start of with a solid base of simple life experiences. They are things we all take for granted in an adult dog, but dogs have to learn that , for example, the hoover isn't going to eat them. It doesn't come naturally.

We used to carry our about when he was a small pup. Used to take him in the car to a retail park too and just sit with the boot open so he could see people, wheelchairs etc.
A great tip I would definitely do again is to play socialization sounds from you tube. I use to play fireworks, sirens, hoover etc. Our grown up dog isn't fazed by these sounds now.

I'd certainly be carrying the puppy for socialising. They can get more used to noise and movements then.

Also while at home are you doing any training? We have a 14 week old and she is learning turn around and stay now. She already has sit, flat, paw and come.

Lots of sniffing games, hide some kibble or treats under a blanket and let her sniff them out etc.

As a pp said maybe you need to have a read up on things.

Ours is 10 weeks, so far he's been:
To relatives house (vaxxed dogs) to play with their dogs and puppies where he played all afternoon.

Carry trips to:
The Saturday market in town
Pets at home
Local shop (kids went in, dog and I stayed outside)
My school for results days to meet lots of kids and staff. He sat on a bench or was carried.
The park (again on my lap/bench)
Round the village, stopping to chat to people. He gets a fuss and has said hi at a distance to some of the canine residents.

We also get him out in the car every other day to help him get used to journeys.

Yes this is very important.
The more different experiences he has whilst a young pup the better.
We used to carry ours out as much as we could in those early weeks so he got used to traffic, the school run, prams, buses, scooters and bikes, the high street, the sound of workmen etc.

You should be doing it already tbh, you only have until 13 weeks that is the prime time to socialise.

You have more than 13 weeks!

Socialisation needs to be done gently and calmly . It is not a competition to see whose puppy can see the most things. It will depend on the puppy.

It is a good idea to carry the puppy to places and let them see, hear, smell and listen to things from a distance.

Any unease or hesitation then back away and give the puppy more space.

Short sessions are much better than doing longer overwhelm sessions. 5 mins is better than 20 for example. When your puppy has been out and about give them space to sleep to allow them to decompress.

Mine is 10 weeks and I have carried her around the local roads she has met people and seen a few cars and buses. The first time she was terrified now she is excited when I take her out second vaccine this week so out and about the week after

One good suggestion I saw was to park your car somewhere interesting for the puppy (supermarket carpark, tourist spot etc) and then sit the puppy in the boot while you sat next to it and just let it see what was going on.

He does need to be getting acclimatised to the outside world. Carrying him to/at different places to get him used to different sights, sounds and smells, plus different people and dogs and other animals is a good idea.

Start off watching from a distance, if pup looks nervous, go back a step, put more distance between you and whatever they’re nervous of and try again. Plenty of treats to make good associations help as well. We tend find a slightly remote bench and sit there with a pot of treats, watching the world go by. It’s a bonding experience, as well as useful socialisation. After gradually increasing proximity according to how the puppy reacts, we will find a bench in our small town centre and repeat the process there. We also drive to out of town shopping centres and supermarkets, park up, lift the boot and sit with them dropping treats as they watch cars, buses, people, shopping trolleys etc.

Don’t let people just come up and fuss/coo over him while he’s being held. This can be really scary for some pups, as they can’t escape and feel trapped and intimidated. Let him see people from a distance, gradually reducing the distance at the pace your particular pup is happy with and if he seems keen and interested to interact, just get people to say a calm hello. Visiting other people’s houses and having visitors, where pup can be off-lead and choose his own pace for approaching to greet is preferable.

Socialisation is so much more than just learning to be around other dogs and people, it’s sights/sounds/smells/different surfaces/handling and a lot more besides.

Dr Sophia Yin’s website has an excellent Socialisation Checklist. It’s very comprehensive and you may feel not all of it applies to your pup and lifestyle, but it’s still a really helpful guide.

I would also recommend reading Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy, by Steve Mann and The Happy Puppy Handbook by Pippa Mattinson, both are quick easy reads and you get get them on Kindle.

The most important thing is to learn to read your pup and work to his pace, only moving on when he’s happy to. Yes, there are socialisation windows, but moving too fast and bombarding a young pup with experiences they can’t cope with can be as detrimental as not socialising, so it’s important it’s done on an individual basis.

Just to echo the comment about introducing pup to household noises/activities - we did this with the vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, mopping, brushing, clattering kitchen noises (dropping pans etc) and the smoke alarm actually went off one day when he was very little and after a moment's reaction he quickly got used to it and I'm so glad we did all this as he's totally non-plussed by that. We also did things like walk him around the garden in big winter hooded coats with umbrellas up, gloved hand, stomping about in boots and heels, big hats all kinds of silly get ups, he spent time with my family member who uses an electric wheelchair, a friend who walks with sticks, we wheeled our bikes around him, slammed doors. All things we thought might cause him to react. Sure we missed out on lots but he's very calm at noises out on the street now. We carried him to the local bus stop to hear and see all the noises, sat outside Tesco as the massive vans unloaded etc and he just trots past all this now. We also, if we hear a house with very noisy dogs barking or screaming kids playing make a point to sit and listen to it and distract him from reacting to that with some treats. I also made a big snuffle mat from a rubber doormat and old fleece jumpers for him to snuffle the occasional non-kong meal from! That keeps his occupied for quite some time and tires him mentally.

Ripping velcro noise is another usueful one to introduce.

Also, use this time to teach him to be happy to have his ears checked, and paws handled (and nails cut), to be bathed/hosed (depending on your favourite anti-mud techniques) and to let you brush his teeth

Yes, getting out and about is so important.

Getting them used to everyday noises and different people: children, men, women. People in hats, people in wheelchairs, buggies, bicycles, cars, lorries, motorbikes, so many sights and sounds and smells for a puppy to get used to; obviously not all at once.

One of the advantages to walking around with a puppy in your arms is that almost everyone is going to want to stop and say hello and give the puppy a stroke. Meanwhile puppy is learning that lots of different types of people are friendly and, hopefully, how to be calm when saying hello.

Yes, you must get him outside.

Carry him around with you. Take him everywhere. Get him used to traffic, runners, men in hats, cyclists, motorbikes, lorries, trains, road works, screaming children, footballs - everything.

One of the advantages to walking around with a puppy in your arms is that almost everyone is going to want to stop and say hello and give the puppy a stroke. Meanwhile puppy is learning that lots of different types of people are friendly and, hopefully, how to be calm when saying hello.

I ask people not to stroke any puppy when it is in my arms - the puppy has no means of escape and can find the situation extremely stressful. Fine to see people and you treat your puppy when they meet people but I would not enourage people to pet your puppy in this situation.

Carry him around with you. Take him everywhere. Get him used to traffic, runners, men in hats, cyclists, motorbikes, lorries, trains, road works, screaming children, footballs - everything.

Please be really careful with this approach. It may be fine for some puppies it may also push some puppies into a very stressful situation. As said above it is not a race to see everything in a short space of time. Socialisation is the time to introduce novelty to your puppy in a safe, calm and unstressful way. Not a bombardment of life. It is to teach your puppy reslience and how to deal with very low stressful situations . To encourage your puppy to focus on you in all situations.

Socialisation is very important but the way it is pushed these days it can be too overwhelming and create a lot of issues later on. If socialisation is carried out correctly your dog will have learnt how to deal with new situations in the future, not be stressed by new situations for the rest of their lives.

Please be really careful with this approach. It may be fine for some puppies it may also push some puppies into a very stressful situation. As said above it is not a race to see everything in a short space of time. Socialisation is the time to introduce novelty to your puppy in a safe, calm and unstressful way

I didn't mean do it all at once

@icedcoffees

Please be really careful with this approach. It may be fine for some puppies it may also push some puppies into a very stressful situation. As said above it is not a race to see everything in a short space of time. Socialisation is the time to introduce novelty to your puppy in a safe, calm and unstressful way

I didn't mean do it all at once

you would be surprised some people try. I had a client who was discussing her daily routine with her 12 week old puppy. He had spent 5 hours in a busy town centre during market day. She had even got puppy pads in the back of the car when he needed to wee.

The client was concerned with the puppies "aggressive" biting!......

grin you would be surprised some people try. I had a client who was discussing her daily routine with her 12 week old puppy. He had spent 5 hours in a busy town centre during market day. She had even got puppy pads in the back of the car when he needed to wee.

The client was concerned with the puppies "aggressive" biting!......

Oh dear! I do think the message around socialisation is really blurred - it doesn't help that many "trainers" offer socialisation classes - which is basically chuck a bunch of puppies into a room and let them get on with it

PollyRoulson

I think we all realise that this sort of socialisation is something that has to be taken very slowly, and only at the puppy's pace. The same with allowing people to stroke the puppy.

My dog loved people when she was a puppy, still does 10 years later, and I knew she was always happy to say hello to people. Of course, if any puppy is not happy with it then, obviously, it would be wrong to make them endure it.

Many people encourage their puppies to interact with other dogs, once they've had all their jabs of course, taking them to puppy parties and so on.

Now that would really have stressed my dog out as she hated, and still does, loads of noisy dogs all in one place.

I knew, by watching how she reacted when we were out and about what she would be happy with and let her set the agenda.

It's just sensible and sensitive dog ownership to watch how your puppy reacts to any situation and going with what the puppy is comfortable with.

It applies all through the dog's life. For instance, I'd never send my dog to day care because I know how trapped and stressed she'd feel being around other dogs and having a way out.

icedcoffees

Yes, you're absolutely right about the confusion over socialisation.

So many dog owners seem to think 'socialisation' means encouraging your dog to be 'sociable' with as many dogs as possible and allowing them to just run around together with wild abandon.

I think perhaps someone needs to come up with a different, better word that gives a clearer indication of the true meaning of socialising a puppy.

PolyRoulson

Just seen your last post.

Clearly it does need emphasising for some people that these things need to be done very slowly.

Poor little thing. I'm not surprised he was biting. He must have been terrified and completely overwhelmed.

I actually think antisocialisation gives a better idea of what is needed.

You need you dog to be aware of situation but ignore it/them. So antisocialisation around dogs is to ignore them and focus on their owners. To have dogs that are able to think, be calm in different situations.

The aim is to have focussed relaxed dogs not to have dogs that run up to people and dogs or socialisation that encourages that.